The Bakery
by grace.daughterofathena.01
Summary: Seven kids met in a bakery. Seven kids grew up together. Seven kids found a home in Argo's Bakery and in each other. Now, seven grownups meet on Christmas Eve in that same bakery. Maybe old friends can change new lives for the better. Rated T for language and some mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

Annabeth stood in front of a yellow painted house for the first time in ten years. Even with the heavy snow that was trickling down at the approach of Christmas, she could still point out to you her mother's rose bush that never grew any roses and the cracked cement bench that was embedded with her handprints. She felt nostalgic just thinking back to all the memories flooding back to her. Here she was, finally in front of her childhood home. She wanted to feel happy and rejoice, but a crude voice shook her out of her reverie.

"Get your ass in here! I'm tired of holding this goddamn door open. I'm fucking cold!" Luke growled at her from the front door. She rolled her eyes and walked up to him with fury.

"Language, Luke. My parents are in the house, and I'd rather them not see you for the raging asshole you really are." Annabeth smirked as she walked past her dumbfounded husband. Her house still smelt of chocolate chip cookies and burnt firewood, like it always did during the Christmas season. She set her bags next to the staircase. "Mom! Dad?" she called out.

"Annabeth!" Called two deep voices in almost perfect unison. Bobby and Matthew rushed from the kitchen, engulfing Annabeth in a hug. Bobby still had a half-eaten chocolate chip cookie hanging out of his mouth. She smiled into their shoulders. This was the first time in many years that she felt secure and comfortable. Luke didn't necessarily offer her that.

"Hey, guys!" Annabeth's voice was mumbled as she slurred her words into their shoulders. She used to be way taller than them, and now, at 23, the twins towered over her.

"How have you been?"

"Why haven't you visited?"

"How's San Francisco?"

"Did you bring Luke?"

The sudden bombardment of questions threw Annabeth a little off, but she focused in on the last question. Sadly, she had brought her good-for-nothing husband along to meet her parents for the first time in a while. He had definitely changed.

Annabeth probably shouldn't have hated her husband so much, but she did. She couldn't help it, though. He was a piece of shit and she couldn't even remember why she had married him in the first place. She would have packed up and been long gone if not for the fact that it wasn't in her best interest. Luke was a very persuasive lawyer, and despite her heart telling her to go, her mind freaked out every time Luke mentioned the fact that he would leave her bankrupt on the side of the street if she dared to leave him. That's how their marriage went. To the casual observer, they were the best match. They didn't sleep in the same room anymore, though, and even then, their marriage found a way to be dysfunctional. Behind closed doors, they were every couple's worst nightmares.

"Yeah! He's getting our bags now actually," Annabeth told Matthew with a smile. He pumped his fist in the air, because she guessed after not seeing your sister or her husband for five years, you get a little excited. The boys flew out the front door, rushing to see their new favorite person for the week. Annabeth, however, wandered farther into the house and towards the kitchen, where the smell of cookies kept getting stronger.

Her mom and dad were waiting for her with open arms. She rushed in for a hug, because her heart ached after not seeing them for so long. They were rocks in her stormy sea of life, and now that she was back with them, she knew she had missed them more than ever.

"I missed you guys so much." She could feel their steady breathing on her hair, and it comforted her to know that they would always be there for her. She needed that reassurance when she lived with a man like Luke.

"We missed you too, sweetheart," her dad's soothing voice rang in her ears.

"Annabeth. We need to unpack." Luke's voice ruined the moment she was having with her parents. His jawline was sharp as he glared at her, which couldn't have looked too loving to her parents. His scar looked more ominous today than most. He earned the jagged line over his eye when he ran into a tree with his car in high school. Annabeth knew that he didn't drink much for that very reason.

"Of course, darling." She forced a smile for her parents' sake, but the line came out cold and unforgiving, like everything she said to him. She could see her parents share a look as she followed Luke out of the kitchen. Of course he'd be the one to mess up her family reunion with his bullshit.

"You left me with your dumbass brothers outside, you bitch. I had to make conversation with 23 year olds that acted like they were nine." Her blood boiled when he talked about her family like that.

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up, you bastard. They're better people than you'll ever be," Annabeth growled. She walked past him on the stairs and walked to her old room, now the guest bedroom of the house. The walls were still the light gray her parents painted them when she was born, and she could tell that there were still some stickers littering the wall that she stuck on when she was four or five. Luke slammed the door behind them. He flung their suitcases on the bed, and spun around on her.

"Listen here, bitch. Don't you ever call me a bastard again, you got it?" She knew she should've taken more from this warning, but being in her comfort zone—her childhood home—was making her feel risky.

"Why, cause it's true?" she smirked. Then Luke did the unthinkable. He slapped her across the face, and hard. She stood their dumbfounded before retaliating with her own hit to the jaw. He fell back, cradling his cheek like a wimp. She stormed to the door, fury bottling up inside of her.

"You fucking piece of shit! I hate you!" Tears began rolling down her face, the sting of the slap ringing in her ears somehow. She flung open the door and screamed something unintelligible back at him then she slammed the door, a full on sobbing mess. Sure, they had gotten into arguments, but he had never dared to hit her. Bobby and Matthew came up the stairs, their faces worried, but she pushed through them, not in the mood for talking at the moment.

Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she ran to the front door, not sure what to do, but certain that she had to get out of this house and far away from Luke. She let her feet take her on their own path, suddenly recalling all of her old walking routines and shortcuts through town. The cold, snowy wind of Christmas Eve bit at her face, drying the tears up. She felt blank and empty. If Luke had hit her once, what was to say that he wouldn't do it again? Next time he would be more comfortable with it, which meant he would get more aggressive.

 _Stop!_ She told herself. She knew she was just freaking herself out, and if she kept going, she would have some kind of panic attack.

Her feet stopped in front of the Argo Bakery. Of course she had brought herself here when she was upset. This was where she had faced middle school and high school issues in front of a heated fireplace on comfy couches. It was her second home.

Memories flooded back of six other habitants of the shop, and Annabeth instantly felt guilty. Once she met Luke, her old life seemed to have melted away, and she forgot all about her best friends. They probably all still talked and laughed about high school. Maybe they even wondered "What that Annabeth girl was doing now?" at their little get-togethers. She bit her lip, thinking about all the great memories she had shared with the six of them.

She walked inside, shivering at the temperature change. It still looked the same too, with warm brown wall paper and old antique seating. She smiled at the familiar appearance. She strolled up to the counter, and when she saw no one, she rang the little silver bell on the counter.

"I'm coming! Hold on just a sec!" someone yelled from the bathroom. The voice sounded recognizable, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Then, a girl that Annabeth knew well exited the ladies room, her dark haired ponytail swishing on her neck.

"Reyna?" Annabeth asked in shock. Her neck snapped over to Annabeth, and a smile lit up her face.

"Annabeth!" Reyna ran over to greet her friend, who returned the hug just as energetically. "Holy shit, it's been a while!" she laughed, and pulled away. She seemed astounded to see Annabeth. It had been five years, though.

Reyna and Annabeth had disliked each other through their lowerclassmen years, when they both crushed over the same guy, until Reyna realized that she didn't actually like boys and started dating Rachel Dare. Then, Junior Year hit and Annabeth and Reyna realized just how much they had in common. They became great friends, and hung out a lot more once Reyna started working at Argo's.

"I know! How have you been?" Annabeth asked. The last time she had seen Reyna, she was coaching a girls' soccer team at the recreation department and applying to get into Texas A&M.

"Great! I just finished up my last few classes at A&M and Rachel and I are working on adoption!" Reyna said, excitement slipping into her voice. Annabeth grinned at her friend's joy.

"Reyna, that's great! I—"

The door opened, cutting them off, and Annabeth could have sworn she was getting lucky. Leo Valdez walked in through the door, grinning like the Cheshire. He and Annabeth had been on the Robotics team together in high school, and he was also one of her fellow bakery patrons. Although he was looking down at something on his phone, Annabeth could tell it was him from the spring in his step.

"Hey, Reyna, can I get my usual? Calypso is at home and—" He looked up and stopped, taking in Annabeth. "Annabeth!" He engulfed her in a hug, just like Reyna had. So maybe they hadn't forgotten about her. Her trip around town was turning out better than expected.

"Hey, Leo, it's been awhile!"

"Fuck, it's been more than awhile. Five years all alone with RA-RA over here has been making me go crazy," he joked. She flipped him off and returned to her job behind the counter. He said he had been alone. Did that mean he hadn't been with the other five friends? Maybe she hadn't cut herself off. Maybe they had just drifted apart.

"Well we probably have a lot to catch up on, huh?" Annabeth asked, laughing as she joked with one of her best friends.

"Let's do it over coffee."

* * *

 **Okay, this is my first attempt at a Percy Jackson fanfiction so we'll see how it turns out. I hope you enjoy! I had this idea the other day and thought it would be cool to write. I'll probably post the next chapter soon, and until then...**

 **BYE!**

 **Grace**


	2. Chapter 2

**I probably shouldnt have posted this so soon after the first chapter, and I never will again, probably, because I am normally such a procrastinator. However, I didn't much to do this weekend, so I just finished this up. I probably should have more to do, judging from the fact that I start my first year of high school next Monday (ick.) But, I did this instead, so enjoy!**

* * *

"So, wait! You have _how many_ kids?" Annabeth asked in astonishment. She couldn't believe how nice it was to see friendly faces. She never had this much fun in San Francisco. Her co-workers were bitches and her husband was a jerk, so talking to someone and enjoying herself was something out of the ordinary.

"Four," Leo said, laughing at her shock. They had been discussing what he had been doing after high school, with Reyna making snarky commentary every so often from behind the counter. Apparently, he opened up a car repair shop and had met his wife Calypso, when she had come in to get her engine fixed. He said it was love at first sight, but Reyna told Annabeth that Calypso and Leo couldn't even stand each other for the first month or so. Once they got married, Calypso opened an entertainment bar up next door and according to Leo, it was "the hottest thing since sliced bread".

The couple had four kids—two boys and two girls—and when Annabeth heard this, she felt a pang of jealousy. She was a kindergarten teacher because she loved kids, but she had always wanted her own. It hurt so much to even think about her own kids.

"So who's the lucky guy that snatched you up?" Leo asked, gesturing to her diamond wedding ring and taking a sip of his cappuccino. Annabeth fiddled with the jewelry on her left hand for a moment. To be honest, she didn't even wear it much anymore. She only put it on to keep her parents from getting suspicious.

"Luke Castellan," she said quietly, not meeting Leo's eyes. She did however, see his face widen in surprise.

"The defense attorney?" he asked, thoroughly impressed by Luke credentials. Most people were, so Annabeth wasn't surprised. She nodded and he took another sip of coffee. "That's pretty cool."

"I guess," she said, her tone revealing more emotion than she meant to. Normally she was ice cold when talking about Luke.

"Maybe I shouldn't be asking this, but are you guys on good terms?" Leo asked softly. Annabeth's neck snapped up, moisture pooling in the bottom of her eyes. How did he know?

"No, we're not. We haven't been on good terms for four years now." Annabeth knew she would probably regret it, but she allowed herself to leave the conversation open.

"Why?" There it was. The dreaded question. That's why she didn't want to keep the conversation open.

But then again, getting the whole thing off her chest would make her feel better. When the whole escapade had happened, she had no one to talk to. Having another human being just sitting there and listening to her as she poured her heart and soul out made her feel better than she thought she would.

"Well—" The door opened again, and Annabeth was cut off. As if by fate, the door opened to reveal another familiar face. Piper McClean, Annabeth's best friend from high school stood there, her black coat covered in white powder. The storm was definitely starting to come down out there. The three friends made eye contact, and for a second no one moved.

"Piper!" Annabeth cried and ran to her friend. Before Piper even realized what was going on, Annabeth had pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "I've missed you so much!" she said, joy filling her at the thought of seeing two of her best friends again. Piper hugged her back, and the girls vaguely heard Leo stand up and walk over.

"Welcome to the reunion, Beauty Queen!" Leo joked, and elfish grin on his face. Piper pulled away from Annabeth and playfully glared at him.

"Just shut the fuck up and come give me a hug." Leo walked over with a smile. Annabeth couldn't believe her luck. What were the odds that they would all be at the bakery on the same night?

Very high.

Apparently, Jason Grace had seen them through the window, and came in already smiling. "Did I miss the meeting memo or something?" he said as he pulled Annabeth in for her hug. Jason had been her honorary little brother when they were little, courtesy of her friendship with Thalia Grace, his older sister.

After greeting each other again, they sat down in front of the fire and Reyna brought Piper and Jason a drink. While Leo recounted his story of Calypso without Reyna's input, Annabeth watched the fire crackle next to her. She missed just sitting here, talking like they were doing. There was something missing though, and she had a feeling that it had something to do with the three empty seats around them.

Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, and Percy Jackson. The final members of the Argo Bakery patrons. Annabeth fondly recalled Hazel's shy personality, Frank's quirky ways, and Percy . . . well, she remembered a lot about Percy. Although she was close with the rest of them, she had always been closest to Percy. He was her best friend, her partner in crime, her other half. She had a crush on him throughout high school, but when she met Luke, she forgot all about him.

What could've been, huh?

When Jason seemed to finish up his story about his huge communications company in Dallas, Annabeth excused herself to go to the bathroom. She had chickened out of telling the story about her and Luke, and the longer she could avoid it, the better. She scurried down the back hall and dove into the dimly lit, one stall washroom that hadn't changed a bit in five years.

She glanced in the mirror. A noticeable hand print was still there, and she could see bruising starting to work its way into the fragile skin of her cheek. How had no one noticed?

She took a deep breath. She wanted to tell her friends about Luke and what had happened, but every time she tried to, pain worked its way into her throat and kept her from saying anything. It was too painful to relive those dreadful few months. She had been in a dark place without relief.

When she was right out of college, she and Luke had gotten married in a spur of the moment decision. It was a courthouse decision with their parents as witnesses, and they packed up and moved to San Francisco. It was Luke's idea. It was always Luke's idea, because she had never gotten any say in their relationship. When she didn't get her dream wedding, it was because Luke didn't talk to his family anymore. When they moved to San Francisco, it was for Luke's job, and he didn't give a rat's ass about her life and what she wanted to do.

She also didn't get any say when he had blamed her for the miscarriage. About a year after they had gotten married, they had tried to have a baby, and for the first five months, it was successful. Of course, he had blamed her though. Maybe she had done something harmful like drinking alcohol, even though he knew damn well that she didn't drink. Annabeth saw him for the monster he really was after the miscarriage, and brought up the idea of a divorce.

That was how her miserable life got started.

Her cheek stung again, and she winced, throwing a hand up to it. It burned when the cool air touched it, and she supposed that talking with her friends distracted her from the pain. Maybe doing so again would keep her from thinking about it. Steeling her emotions so he tears wouldn't begin to slip, Annabeth opened the door and headed to the front room.

Two new faces were there.

"Hazel, Frank!" she exclaimed, forgetting about taking a slow, leisurely walk to compose herself on the way back. Hazel's caramel locks spun around and a grin lit up her face. Frank looked shocked to see her, but Annabeth had been getting used to it. When you don't see someone for five years, it comes as a bit of a shock to you.

"How have you been, Annabeth?" Hazel asked, tugging on one of the millions of golden curls she had on her head. Annabeth smiled and took her seat back next to Piper.

"I've been great, how about you?"

"Well, despite dealing with some idiot editors, pretty good!" Hazel replied, sighing good-naturedly. Leo seemed to be bouncing out of his seat to say something.

"Annabeth, she works for _Vogue_. Like _the Vogue_! Can you believe that?" Leo asked, gawking in wonder. Annabeth shook her head, still smiling at her friend. She honestly couldn't believe it. Sweet Hazel, working for a big time magazine like that . . . who knew?

"So Frank, what have you been up to?" Piper asked, looking up from her black coffee next to Annabeth. He smiled at the recognition.

"I'm an accountant in New Orleans, but I do photography on the side." Annabeth could imagine him as a photographer. He always did have a pretty creative mind, and he was in the Photography Club back in their high school days. Ah, high school. If Annabeth could redo it all and go back to those days . . .

She would have attempted to never have met Luke and she certainly wouldn't have moved to San Francisco. Being back here made her remember just how much she loved her hometown and all of its adorable quaintness.

"Remember how great of friends we all were back in high school?" Annabeth asked out loud, her eyes drifting towards the clock on the mantle. It read nine o'clock. Wow. She had been there for almost four hours now.

"Yeah," Piper added sadly, a small frown on her face. "I wish we had never split up in the first place."

"I know," Jason replied, twirling his cup around in his hands. A sad undertone resonated with the group. No one knew what to say. Annabeth surely wasn't comfortable with all of them. She hadn't seen them for five fucking years, and now, here they were, almost complete. The problem was, though, they were missing Percy. He had been the glue, the goofball, and the source that held them together as friends. Without him here, they didn't feel complete.

Speak of the devil . . .

The door whipped open, pushing in a blast of cold air at all them. A black haired man around their age dove into the shop, white snow covering his face and clothes. The white didn't reach his eyes, though. Annabeth would have known those sea green eyes anywhere.

"Percy Jackson." Frank uttered, astonished at the completing presence of their friend. Percy glanced over, confused at first, then realization hit his face.

"Shit, did I miss a text message or something?"

Like Annabeth predicted, the moment Percy showed up, the atmosphere of the room changed. Sure, before it had been friendly, but now it was excitable and family-like. Just like it used to be. Percy had moved to New York and worked as a lawyer, and he recounted to the group stories of some of his craziest cases. As he told his stories, Annabeth remembered just how much she had missed him. He was a truly great guy and friend, and the day that they had stopped talking was probably one of the worst days for her.

When the door opened again, Annabeth wondered if maybe some kind of Greek god would walk through it, because that door had proved to be pretty magical tonight. It was just Nico di Angelo, the owner of Argo's Bakery, with his head shoved in his phone.

"Nico!" Percy shouted, waving at the business owner. Nico grunted in response, still studying his phone. Leave it Nico to be the only one not necessarily shocked by everyone's sudden appearance. He hopped over the counter and showed Reyna whatever was on his phone. Everyone else had gone back to their conversations, but Annabeth was interested in what was so captivating on Nico's cell phone. As if reading Annabeth's mind, Reyna walked around the counter and back over to them.

"Guys, the town is closing the roads because of a blizzard coming and asking everyone to stay indoors. You might want to text somebody, because y'all are going to be here a while." Everyone groaned and pulled out their phones. Annabeth felt bad for Reyna, who had to deliver the news. Although Annabeth didn't feel too bad. It wasn't like she had someone to text anyone.

"No one to text?" Percy asked her. It was the first time he had spoken directly to her since he had gotten there. She nodded.

"No one that can't wait until I've left." Percy nodded. He looked skeptical when he glanced at her ring. "What about you?" she asked him, noticing the absence of his own phone. He shrugged his shoulders and looked right into her eyes. It seemed like he could look into your soul if he wanted to.

"Sadly enough, no."

There conversation ended there, and Annabeth was left wondering "what if?" again.

* * *

 **Review down below please! It always makes my day when you guys take the time to review. Love you, darlings, and see you soon!**

 **BYE**

 **Grace**


	3. Author's Note

**Hey, guys! It's me! I'm about halfway finished with Chapter 3 of** _ **The Bakery**_ **, but being the obnoxious Girl Meets World fan I am, I think I want to start a fanfiction for that where they are at Hogwarts. Just wanted to let y'all know that that means I might spread out updates on** _ **The Bakery**_ **to every week instead of bi-weekly. I should get Chapter 3 out by tomorrow though, because I don't have softball practice. Love you, my darlings!**

 **BYE  
Grace**


	4. Chapter 3

Annabeth woke the next morning huddled in her plush chair and Percy's coat draped over her. It smelled like his cologne from high school, which she wasn't complaining about. It was intoxicating. Everyone else aside from Reyna and Nico were still sleeping, so she attempted to fall back asleep herself, until a _ding!_ from her phone pulled her into reality.

"Shit!" she grumbled under her breath. She had spent the whole night here without telling anyone where she was going. She fumbled with her phone before checking the lock screen. Almost twenty texts from her parents and a few calls. Five texts from her brothers. Nothing from Luke. "What a piece of garbage," she mumbled, pulling herself out of the chair and stretching. She was so worked up in not texting Luke last night, which hadn't proved to be an issue for him, that she had forgotten all about her family. She felt horrible that she had caused them so much worry.

She sent a quick text to her mom informing her of the situation, and left it on the chair, along with Percy's warm coat.

"Morning, Sunshine!" Reyna said as Annabeth walked over. Annabeth laughed and attempted to smooth down her hair.

"What time is it?" she asked Reyna, catching a knot in one of the ends of her curls. Reyna glanced down at her watch with scrunched eyebrows.

"9:45." Annabeth sighed, giving up on her hair. Great. She had stayed her all night. "You guys talked for a pretty long time last night," Reyna said, wiping off a spot on the counter. "When y'all finally fell asleep, we were almost out of coffee." The girls both laughed quietly, trying not take wake anyone else up. Annabeth glanced over at Nico, who was counting the cash in the register. He seemed happier than he had been in high school, when he went through his gothic faze. Back then, his father had owned Argo's, but he seemed to have done a great job in taking care of it.

"So, Nico," Annabeth drawled, catching his attention. He looked up from his task and raised an eyebrow at her. "Got any . . . special guys we should know about?" she asked innocently. He rolled his eyes, but she detected a glimmer of amusement creeping into his face.

"I'm not talking to you about this, Annabeth." He went back to counting money, but Reyna shared a look with Annabeth and started his story for him.

"His name's Will Solace."

"Reyna!" complained Nico, but she paid no attention to his complaints.

"He's in Medical School at A&M and they've been dating for a year now. Not necessarily what I'd consider Nico's type, but they're cute together," she finished. Annabeth giggled at Nico's red face. Nico acted all "tough guy", but Annabeth knew he was awkward deep down inside.

"Ugh!" Nico said, and threw his hands up in exasperation when Reyna started laughing too. He ran into the kitchen, sheltering himself from their teasing.

"He looks happier," Annabeth commented once he was out of earshot. Both of the girls looked after him, even when Reyna spoke.

"I knew him before Bianca died, and he's getting to be there again. When he finally opened himself up to having friends again, he got a lot better. Then Will came along and he was definitely the turning point."

Annabeth nodded and glanced back at the group of people sleeping by the now extinguished fireplace. She felt like she had done the same thing as Nico in one night. She had gone from miserable to happy just from opening herself up again.

"When did Percy give me his jacket?" Annabeth asked Reyna, not remembering him draping it over her. When she had fallen asleep, she had curled up into herself to try and stay warm. It was a very Percy thing to do though, so she couldn't say she was very surprised.

"I was just getting ready to ask you. I didn't see him last night." Annabeth contemplated that. He was getting harder and harder to read, or maybe that was just Annabeth getting more and more lost every time she looked in his eyes . . .

Where had that come from? She had a husband. She had a commitment to someone.

And yet, she felt any fucks she actually gave about Luke Castellan slipping out of her fingertips.

"Can I borrow a piece of paper, Reyna?" Annabeth asked, staring directly at Percy. Call her crazy, but she felt pulled towards him. Maybe it was to get revenge on her husband, or maybe it was because she actually had feelings for him. Right now, all she had in her mind was Percy and his sea green eyes.

"Sure, why?" Reyna asked, grabbing a notepad from underneath the counter. Annabeth shrugged and took a pen from the jar by the register.

"Just want to write a quick thank you note."

 _Thanks for the coat. I owe you one. Maybe drinks?_

 _Call me_

 _(458)203-3491_

 _Annabeth_

Annabeth left after sticking the note in his jacket pocket. She didn't want to be there when the others woke up and possibly get caught staying even longer. So, she hugged Reyna and Nico and made her way out of the shop. The blizzard had stopped late last night, and now all that was left was a soft powder that was barely even there.

Annabeth found walking down the streets pleasant. She recognized many of the homes and stores from when she was a little girl. Then she realized where her walk would end. At a house with a man who had hit her. She wasn't in the comfort of her friends any longer. She was on her own in startling reality. She almost started crying because she was afraid. She had seen the light now, and she didn't want to go back to the darkness.

She kept walking, hoping she would be able to face her fears.

All of a sudden, the yellow house was in front of her again. She took a deep breath; she could do this. She was a strong person that wasn't scared of anybody. She was alone, so she had to trust herself.

She tentatively stepped up the sidewalk until she sat in front of the front door. _Be strong. Be brave,_ she told herself. She pushed open the door. It felt strangely unhappy in the house for once, and none of the lights were on in the foyer.

"Guys, I'm home!"

"We're in the kitchen!" her mother's voice called out, sounding relieved. She rushed down the hall and found her family huddled over the island counter in their pajamas. They looked worried and upset, and she felt saddened that she was the cause of this. It was Christmas and her family was sick with worry because she had been careless enough to not text them last night.

"I'm so sorry, you guys. I got stuck in Argo's last night when the blizzard hit and forgot to text, and—"

"Annabeth." Her mother luckily cut her off. She was starting to ramble, and she always said stupid shit when she rambled. Annabeth looked over and saw her mother not angry, but smiling. "It's fine, sweetheart. I figured that anyways. We're just glad that you're okay," her mother said, pulling her into a hug. She burrowed her head into her mother's shoulder, feeling like she was a little kid scared by a thunderstorm again.

"Where have you been?" Luke's voice growled from the other side of the kitchen. He must have followed her in. He looked angry, and involuntarily, Annabeth felt herself getting frightened.

"I went to a bakery last night to get some coffee and got caught in the blizzard." She didn't mention anything about their fight. Not around her parents, of course. She figured they already knew though. He glared at her, and she flinched, feeling her cheek start to burn again at the memories.

"Okay. I'll be upstairs," he said, and left the room. Annabeth let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. That was pretty odd behavior for him, he normally would put up a fight and try to start an argument. She turned around to her family, who all had pitying looks in their eyes. She ignored them and forced a smile.

"Ready to open presents?" Everyone nodded and they moved to the living room. Without Luke there, it almost felt like a normal family Christmas. Her parents had gotten her some clothes and the boys had gotten her some movies. She was too distracted to be excited though. She kept thinking back to Luke. He wasn't acting like himself. She didn't want to see him again, but she wasn't sure what was happening with him, and not knowing was more dangerous than facing him.

"I'll bring Luke his presents." Annabeth's parents hesitantly handed over the gifts, obviously aware of the tensions between the couple. She tiptoed out of the living room, slowing getting farther and farther away from the comforting living room. She heard no noise from upstairs, and wondered what Luke could possibly be doing.

A ding buzzed in her pocket. An unknown number had texted her. She opened the text up and glanced at it, waiting at the bottom of the stairs. It was Percy.

 _Hey, Annabeth! It's Percy. I'd love to grab drinks. How's tonight sound? Seven at Bacchus? Just text me if you can._

She groaned. How stupid was she? She was insinuating a date with another man because she was angry at her husband. Ugh, she was an awful wife. She wasn't going to stoop to his level and be unfaithful. She put the phone back in her pocket, deciding to ignore it.

She creeped up the stairs, uncomfortable with the silent atmosphere. Her house was normally so vibrant and full of life. She knocked on her bedroom door.

"Luke, I brought you your presents." When no answer came, Annabeth walked in. Luke stood rigid by the window. "Did you hear—"

"I heard you. Tell me the truth. Where were you yesterday?" What an ass. Why couldn't he believe her?

"I told the truth downstairs." Luke spun on his heel and prowled over, towering over her near the door. She cowered away from him and his cruel face. He snarled at her.

"You're lying and I know it!" he growled. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. She felt tears pooling up in her eyes. "Where the fuck were you?" His grip tightened with every word.

"Luke, I'm telling the truth!" She said, scared of what he might do to her if this kept going on. He glared at her and looked her right in the eyes. She didn't want to, because he didn't deserve to see the fear and pain he was causing her. But he had her in a death grip.

"Fine, be a lying bitch for all I care." He flung her head back into the wall, and she heard ringing in her hears. He stormed to the other side of the room. She started to silently sob, the back of her head aching. She fled from the room. She was embarrassed. He had seen her flinch away; he had seen her cry.

Halfway down the steps, she remembered Percy's invitation. Right now, she didn't feel so bad about herself.

 _I'd love to. See you then._

* * *

 **Yay! I finally finished that! I got really bad writer's block halfway through, but I think y'all will like it. Next chapter is where the REAL drama starts, so get ready for some serious shit. But there will also be happiness and love and stuff like that because this is a story about Annabeth's life geting better, so I'm probably going to give you whiplash. But, ANYWAYS . . . I hope you enjoy, and feel free to review with any comments, questions, or criticism. I love to hear from you guys. I love you, my darlings! Have a wonderful day!**

 **BYE**

 **Grace**


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